Hijacking the news jumping on a breaking news story

Claudine Snape claudine.snape@gmail.com @claude78

July 2014

So what is newsjacking?

“Newsjacking is the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story and generating tons of media coverage and social media engagement.”

David Merrman Scott

Why you should newsjack

• Raise brand profile and increase credibility• Increase propensity to support• Increase online reach• Drive visitors to your website or calls to your

helpline • Gain new members/supporters• Improve organic search rankings• Promote key advice and services

theworldofraven.wordpress.com

@caitlinmoran

“Tuesday’s final of The Great British Bake-Off was wholly hijacked 40 minutes in by a cutaway shot of a squirrel gallivanting outside the Bake-Off marquee..”

When to hijack

Hashtag #hijacking

• There are an estimated 400 million tweets sent a day.

• The hashtag function of Twitter is often used by brands and companies as a PR tool to gain visibility.

• Hashtags can create visibility, drive real time conversations and influencing trends and drive traffic towards your website.

• They can also be hijacked to draw attention to a related cause or to cause embarrassment.

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2014/24190/seven-cautionary-tales-of-hashtag-hijackings#ixzz373gzV714

Pitfalls?

• A lot of time and effort for nothing• Can be reputationally risky without a clear

link to the subject • You can’t control the direction the story

could take – it could take you onto uncomfortable ground

• Your spokespeople could feel ill prepared and be off message

• You can’t control the timing – it could mean you have to drop another campaign launch

AFP PHOTO/Leon NealLEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

Defra Air Quality Twitter alerts March 31st 2014

Mail Online March 31st 13:41BSTMark Duel - writer

Tues 1 April. Asthma UK statement

Kay Boycott, chief executive at Asthma UK, says: “The two thirds of people with asthma who find that air pollution makes their asthma worse will be at an increased risk of an attack following the alarming Defra warning of high pollution levels around the country…”

Key commentators

Prof Frank Kelly, chair of the Department of Health’s committee on the medical effects of air pollution, said:

“ Schools in areas affected by severe air pollution should keep all pupils inside over lunch and playtimes. He said staying indoors was vital to avoid them suffering asthma attacks and potentially lifelong lung damage”.

Guardian Online Wednesday 2 April 2014 16.18 BST Josh Halliday and Mark Tran

Mirror Online Wednesday 2 April 20:18 BST

Question YES NOHas your asthma flared up? 83.8%

 16.2%

Are you using your reliever inhaler more? 

84.7%  

15.3%

Have you avoided going outside?  

50% 50%

Are you scared of having an asthma attack? 

62.9% 37.1%

Have you sought advice about managing your asthma? 

39.9% 60.1%

Have you had an asthma attack?  

31.3% 68.7%

Survey Monkey responses as of 9.40am Thursday 3 April 2014, based on 342 respondents

Thurs 3 April. Asthma UK statement

Kay Boycott, chief executive at Asthma UK, says: “It’s not a surprise that there has been an increase in Ambulance calls given that two thirds of people with asthma tells us that air pollution makes their asthma worse and nearly a third of people who took our overnight poll reported having an asthma attack due to the air pollution…”

Third Sector media briefing

Impact

• 400 articles giving 683m OTS• Helpline staff gave advice to at least 30 people• Facebook reach of 134,837 (over a 400% increase in

comparison to the same period the week before)• 432 more ‘likes’ on our Facebook page and 153 more

followers on Twitter• 75% increase in web visits • Downloads of key resources nearly trebled • 21% increase in people looking at our advice page on

asthma attacks• 254% increase in the number of people doing the Triple

A: Avoid Asthma Attacks Test

What went well?

• Acting quickly – getting tailored social content on FB and advice on the website – was shared widely

• Having a legitimate reason to comment • Using existing pre-approved content • Getting a cross organisational group together and confirming a

plan of action • Regular team huddles on progress and content ideas• Developing the story further by using a survey• Responding to other new hooks (ambulance figures)• Targeting journalists following the story • Having spokespeople available to add credibility to story

(asthma nurses) • Having strong case studies willing to talk about experiences• Having the resources to cope with the media follow up

What could have been done better?• Could have responded earlier if we had set up DEFRA

alerts • More content on Twitter and news jack using smog

hashtags • Better variety of pictures!• Focus on single action • Only £198 raised from text donations in response to the

tailored ask• Should have contacted mummy bloggers

Top tips – 1. Find news to jack

• Decide what are issues or subjects that could impact on your charity

• Delegate key responsibilities to individual staff • Draw up a list of who is commentating across

digital, broadcast and print media• Monitor keywords and set up alerts on those issues

and subjects (ie Google news) • Monitor influential blogs • Track key journalists, bloggers and media outlets• Follow relevant twitter hashtags• Keep an eye on trending word clouds

2. Make a plan

• How are you related to the breaking news?• Why should the media care?• What existing content can you use?• Quickly decide roles and responsibilities• Get senior buy-in• Negotiate with managers about dropping lower

priority work • Brainstorm your approach with a cross

organisational group • Meet at the end of each day to review and plan

for the next day

3. Get out there quick

• Blog your take on the news• Tweet it using an established hashtag• Issue a real time media alert• Go direct to journalists who are most likely

to cover the story • Talk about it in a speech• Use your established networks

Questions

Background reading

• Newsjacking – How to inject your ideas into a breaking news story and generate tons of media coverage. By David Meerman Scotthttp://www.davidmeermanscott.com/books/newsjacking/

• Newsjacking on social media, by Kirsty Marrins, digital communications consultant. @Londonkirstyhttp://kirstymarrins.com/2013/07/24/newsjacking-on-social-media/

• 5 brand marketing efforts that took newsjacking to the next level. Britt Klontz. http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/01/brand-marketing-newsjacking-next-level/

• The Inbound Marketer's Complete Guide to Newsjacking. Corey Eridonhttp://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32983/The-Inbound-Marketer-s-Complete-Guide-to-Newsjacking.aspx

• Seven cautionary tales of hashtag hi-jacking, by Mark Potter.http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2014/24190/seven-cautionary-tales-of-hashtag-hijackings#ixzz373gzV714

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